Tennessee State shocks FAMU

The bus ride home to Nashville was a whole lot more fun than the ride back to Tallahassee, as Tennessee State shocked Florida A&M 29-18 in the Atlanta Football Classic on Saturday.

While it was bit of a surprise that Tennessee State won, what was startling was just how dominant it was over a team that had a better record this season and an eight-game win streak in this series. Tennessee State’s Preston Brown ran for a career-high 233 yards, which was also an Atlanta Football Classic record.

Big-game tested and accustomed to winning at the Georgia Dome, the Rattlers were surprisingly lifeless from the start. They had no answers for Tennessee State’s relentless pressure, as the Tigers sacked FAMU quarterbacks an astonishing 11 times

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• Atlanta Football Classic: FAMU-TSU

Tennessee State's Preston Brown sets Classic rush record

ATLANTA — Thanks to 11 sacks and Preston Brown's 233 yards rushing, Tennessee State broke an eight-game Atlanta Football Classic losing streak to Florida A&M 29-18 on Saturday at the Georgia Dome. Brown set an Atlanta Football Classic rushing record and equaled the third-best effort in TSU history.

"This is huge," first-year TSU Coach Rod Reed said. "One of the benchmarks for this program was beating Florida A&M. We came here ready to play this. I'm so proud of these gentlemen." On the game's second play, a crowd of 54,202 saw Brown take a handoff and race 71 yards up the middle for a touchdown.

Tennessee State runs past FAMU in Atlanta Classic

ATLANTA — So much for the win streak that Florida A&M had in the Atlanta Classic. The Rattlers played an uninspired first half and Tennessee State's running back Preston Brown was unstoppable all afternoon to carry the Tigers to a 29-18 victory in front of 54,202 at the Georgia Dome.

Not since losing to TSU by 20 points in 2001 has FAMU been beaten this badly by the Tigers. Ironically, that was the last time TSU beat FAMU. TSU exposed FAMU in every phase on an afternoon when the Rattlers were plain flat.

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UAPB's Richard Webber grabs 3 TD passes to star in Gateway Classic

The last time Raymond Webber played in a football game at the Edward Jones Dome was four years ago when he caught two passes and scored a touchdown while participating in a jamboree for his high school, Miller Career Academy.

On Saturday, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior receiver made a triumphant return, catching 11 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns and earning the offensive most valuable player award as he helped Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a 35-19 win over Clark Atlanta University in the 17th Gateway Classic.

"Really, with our offense, it's just whoever is open," said Webber, who was playing in front a big throng of family and friends. "Whoever is making plays, we're just feeding him the ball. Everybody contributed to this win." The win was the first this season for the Golden Lions (1-2).

Ark.-Pine Bluff 35, Clark Atlanta 19

ST. LOUIS -- Josh Boudreaux ran for a touchdown and threw three scoring passes to Raymond Webber as Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeated Clark Atlanta 35-19 on Saturday in the Gateway Classic. Inside the Edward Jones Dome, Webber caught 11 passes for 162 yards for the Golden Lions (1-2).

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Attendance: 22781

Clark Atlanta and Arkansas - Pine Bluff performing at the Gateway Classic Pep Rally

WSSU Rams whip FSU Broncos to improve to 5-0

Fayetteville, N.C. -- There’s a new sheriff in the CIAA.

That much was evident on Saturday night when Winston-Salem State had its way with Fayetteville State, the defending conference champions, by rolling to a 31-14 win at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium.

With more than half of the 4,000-plus fans dressed in Rams’ red, the Rams remained unbeaten at 5-0 and 3-0 in the conference and will likely crack the top 25 Division II coaches’ poll this week. “That was the whole plan - this was a statement game,” said wide receiver Dominique Fitzgerald of the Rams, who caught a touchdown pass and threw a 28-yard touchdown pass off a wide receiver flea-flicker. “They were the defending champs and to become the champs we had to knock off No. 1.”

Winston-Salem State tops Fayetteville State, 31-14

Winston-Salem State wide receiver Dominique Fitzgerald knew Saturday night's game at Fayetteville State would be a test plus a learning experience all rolled into one. As the Rams continue transitioning back into Division II, returning to the CIAA for the first time since 2005, Fitzgerald admitted he wasn't quite sure what to make of his team's 4-0 start, eager to gauge the program's progress with a showdown against the defending conference champ.

"We really don't know what to expect from most teams because a lot of us have never played them before," Fitzgerald said. "So with everything so far, it's like we're guessing."

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Prairie View hurt by fumble in 34-17 loss to Grambling State

DALLAS, TX — Penalties and a costly fumble doomed Prairie View A&M in a 34-17 loss to Grambling State in the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl. The Panthers, (1-3, 1-2 SWAC) were penalized seven times for 62 yards and fumbled inside the Tigers’ 5-yard line in the second half.

After a 17-yard pass from KJ Black to Shaun Stephens on the opening drive of the second half gave 
the Panthers a 17-14 lead, Prairie View was poised to score again on its next possession.
After Black hit Devin Brown for a 21-yard gain to the Grambling 3-yard line, Brown fumbled, killing the drive and any Prairie View momentum.

“It killed us,” Panthers head coach Henry Frazier III said. “We had the lead. We should have scored again. That was very devastating. That gave them the momentum.”



State Fair Classic: Big plays help Grambling State top Prairie View A&M

Grambling State used big plays in the second half to defeat Prairie View A&M, 34-17, at the State Fair Classic on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers avenged their loss from last year, their first in the series since 1986.

A 59-yard bomb from Anthony Carrothers to Kiare Thompson with 4:21 left put Grambling State up by 10 and sealed the Panthers' fate. Grambling State's Cornelius Walker scored on a 66-yard run with 1:24 remaining for the final score.

The Panthers' defense gave them a chance by stuffing Frank Warren on a fourth-and-1 at Prairie View's 14 with six minutes left and Prairie View down by a field goal. But Prairie View's drive consisted of an incompletion, a sack, a false start and a near-interception. Carrothers hooked up with Thompson on the following drive.

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Attendance: 43,754

Alcorn State 41, Alabama State 21: Alcorn takes battle of SWAC unbeatens

LORMAN, MS. -- Gabriel Nash had 29 carries for 135 yards and two touchdown, and Alcorn State took advantage of five Alabama State turnovers to take a 41-21 victory and emerge as the Southwestern Athletic Conference's only undefeated team Saturday.

Alabama State (3-1, 3-1 SWAC) began the game positively with a five-play, 62-yard drive capped off by a 10-yard touchdown run from quarterback Devin Dominguez, giving the Hornets a 7-0 lead following a PAT. "We came out of the gate and the first drive of the game was outstanding," Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. "After that drive, we did nothing positive on offense."

Alcorn (3-0, 2-0) quickly responded with Brandon Bridge's 57-yard TD run, and Gabriel Nash's 12-yard run to take the lead.

Alcorn offense leads way in win over Alabama State

LORMAN, MS —Alcorn State was averaging 38 1/2 points after two games coming into its matchup with Alabama State Saturday. And the Braves continued to thrive offensively, churning out another high-scoring game and defeating the Hornets 41-21 to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The win marked Alcorn’s first victory over Alabama State since 2002, something Braves head coach Earnest Collins was very happy about. “I wouldn’t have cared if it was 41-40, as long as we came out with the victory,” Collins said. “The kids played hard. We made some mistakes in the game that we have to get corrected, but the kids played together, and I’m proud of them.”

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Attendance: 2584
Next Games: Alcorn State at Mississippi State 
                       Texas Southern at Alabama State    

TSU values football classics for history, money

Tennessee State Coach Rod Reed told his players this week that Florida A&M would be the best team they've faced. He also emphasized the importance of the game even though it is not against an OVC opponent. The Tigers (1-2) and Rattlers (2-1), from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, have met 14 times in the Atlanta Football Classic, and FAMU has won 11.

"I don't view either type of game as being more important than the other whether it's a conference game or one of our classics," said Reed, who is TSU's all-time leading tackler with 406 from 1985-88. "I embrace the classics. That's our heritage as (a Historically Black College and University)." TSU usually plays non-OVC opponents in Classics, which routinely draw larger crowds and are steeped in tradition.

FAMU Ready For Atlanta Classic

It's a rivalry that dates back to 1944. FAMU head football coach Joe Taylor says, "Through the Jake Gaither, John Meritt days when those two guys always had tremendous battles and we're just keeping that tradition going."

A tradition that began in 1989, sixteen games between Tennessee State and FAMU have met halfway, in Atlanta, to play in what is now called the Atlanta Football Classic. FAMU sophomore DT Padric Scott adds, "It's always a big event. The history and tradition surrounding it, now you can't let that get too much over you so you still have to approach it as a game, but it's also a great game to have that environment."



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State Fair Classic is SWAC predictor

The official SWAC Championship is played in Birmingham in December. But the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas might be the conference's true championship game.

The winner of the annual matchup between Grambling State and Prairie View A&M has gone on to win the SWAC's Western Division — and eventually, the conference championship — in each of the past two seasons. The loser has had to play out the rest of its season, fruitlessly hoping the other team will slip up and provide a path to the championship game.

Do-or-die game faces Prairie View at Cotton Bowl‎

Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III hardly knew what to say when addressing his team in a huddle after last weekend's 18-15 loss to Alabama State at Blackshear Stadium. The Panthers had just seen their nine-game home winning streak snapped. Their 15-game winning streak against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents also went up in smoke. For Frazier, it was unfamiliar territory.

"It was hard to accept," Frazier said. "A part of me was like, 'Damn, we lost. What do I say?' I had to question myself (to see) if I was cut out to coach because I can't accept ...

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SSU, Albany State renew rivalry

Can Savannah State University's football team beat a lower-level opponent?

The Tigers, members of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), will get a second opportunity today when they play Albany State, an NCAA Division II member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Two weeks ago, Fort Valley State, also a member of the SIAC, scored 41 unanswered points en route to a 41-10 victory over SSU. SSU (0-3) will play Albany State (3-0) at 2 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium in Waycross in the "Rumble in the Swamp."

Rams set to 'Rumble' against Tigers in Waycross

ALBANY, GA — One Tigers rivalry game down, one to go. After its 34-6 whipping of the Tuskegee Tigers last week, the Albany State football team heads out to Waycross today to take on the Savannah State Tigers — and renew a rivalry — in the inaugural “Rumble in the Swamp.” And while the two schools haven’t played each other since 2004, the history between them is deeper than the bogs of the Okefenokee.

“I’m excited about the game,” ASU head coach Mike White said this week. “They’re somebody we haven’t played in a while.” White was a star defensive lineman on the 1975-1978 Rams teams that beat Savannah State three out of the four times they played, but the tradition goes back further than that. Much, much further.

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Coastal Carolina-Delaware State breakdown‎

Series | Tied 1-1
Weather | 84 degrees with clear skies

Injuries | Coastal: LB E.J. Brown (knee) and RB Travis Small (thigh) are questionable; DE Jamel Davis (thumb), LB Andrae Jacobs (head), S Marcus Lott (thigh) are probable; OL Steve Simpson (knee) is doubtful; DE Quinton Davis (ankle) and David Hall (knee) are out. Delaware State: n/a.
Key number: 1
Delaware State returned only one full-time defensive starter from a team that finished 4-7 last season.
Key matchup

Delaware State's Larrone Moore vs. Coastal Carolina's Josh Norman (and friends). Moore is the Hornets' top offensive weapon, averaging 97 receiving yards per game. Look for Delaware State to try to get Moore heavily involved. Coastal would be wise to have Norman (eight interceptions last season) shadow him.

Less size allows growth for DSU's Green

DOVER, DE -- Kevin Green was ranked by one scouting service among the top 40 linebackers in the country when he signed to play football at Purdue in 2007. But even though he grew up in Chicago, something just didn't feel quite right for the 6-foot-2, 245-pound linebacker in West Lafayette, Ind.

"I wasn't really getting treated right there," Green said. "I was talking to a couple of the players and they said, 'We'd like you to stay here, but you've got to do what you've got to do for yourself.' "

So, rather than playing in front of 62,500 at Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium, Green says he is just as happy playing before 4,000 fans at DSU's Alumni Stadium.

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A&M's Kearse is a big hit with NFL scouts after early struggles

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - When Sonja Braxton brought her son, Alabama A&M defensive tackle Frank Kearse, to school four years ago, she took his house keys when she left.

Kearse told his mother he loved football and planned to go pro. He had escaped the traps back home in Savannah, Ga., [- his mom and dad both worked two jobs to make sure he had everything he needed-]  and Braxton didn't want anything to distract him from reaching his goal.

Bulldogs look to fix O-line problems

f Deaunte Mason has one goal Saturday night against Southern, it’s that he spends more time standing on his feet as opposed to laying on the grass at Louis Crews Stadium.

Last week, Mason, a quarterback at Alabama A&M, was sacked seven times — knocked down and hit even more times — during a 32-9 rout by Texas Southern. With his linemen unable to protect him and Mason jittery, the offense managed just 197 yards of total offense, including 69 in the second half. Breakdowns up front occurred on both blitzes and base defense packages, drawing the ire of ninth-year coach Anthony Jones, who vowed improved play.

SU’s Cushingberry iffy

Southern wide receiver Corey Cushingberry, who suffered a left shoulder injury two weeks ago in the Jaguars’ loss to Arkansas-Monticello, is “doubtful” for Saturday’s game at Alabama A&M, coach Stump Mitchell said.

Cushingberry, a fifth-year senior from Istrouma High and a sprinter on the SU track team, hurt his shoulder on the first play of the UAM game, a 30-yard kickoff return that ended with him landing underneath two tacklers.

Hollimon to start at QB for Southern

In a surprise turnaround, Southern football coach Stump Mitchell said at his weekly news conference Tuesday he plans to start Gary Hollimon at quarterback when the Jaguars open Southwestern Athletic Conference play in Normal, Ala., against Alabama A&M at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Hollimon, a senior from Gulfport, Miss., has been the team's starting tail-back this season. He moved into the position following preseason camp last year after beginning his career at the school as a quarterback. Sylvester Nzekwe, a sophomore, will start at tailback for the Jaguars.

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Howard Bison vs. Morgan State Bears

Howard vs. Morgan State
Where: New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. When: 3:30 p.m.
Records: Bison 0-3, 0-2 MEAC; Bears 1-2, 0-0

NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE CLASSIC
The 39th annual game benefits the Whitney M. Young Scholarship Fund and the educational programs of the New York Urban League. It will be the first college football game played at the new stadium.
NOT MUCH TO BRAG ABOUT
This matchup features two of the worst scoring teams and the worst defensive teams in the MEAC. Morgan State is averaging just 8.7 points per game, while Howard is averaging 11.7 points per game. The Bison are allowing 39.7 points per game, while the Bears are allowing 34.7 points per game.
ON THE RUN
Given its unstable quarterback situation...

A final look inside new Meadowlands Stadium before its Saturday opening with its first college football game -- Howard University Bison vs. Morgan State University Bears from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls vs. WSSU Rams Football Matchup Moved to Memorial Stadium

Saturday, October 2nd game moved to Memorial Stadium, at 6:00 p.m.

Charlotte, NC – The football contest between Johnson C. Smith University and Winston-Salem State University scheduled for Saturday, October 2nd at 6:00 pm originally set to be played at the Irwin Belk Complex has been relocated to the American Legion Memorial Stadium.

The game has been moved to accommodate the potentially larger than capacity seating at the Irwin Belk Complex. The stadium seats approximately 4,500 fans. The move will not be unfamiliar for the team; JCSU has played its homecoming football games in the past at the nearby Memorial Stadium.

“We just wanted to take safety precautions and be proactive, with a big rivalry game between these two institutions, and the success that Winston has had this season; it made economical sense to move the game to Memorial,” said JCSU Athletic Director, Stephen Joyner, Sr.

American Legion Memorial Stadium is a 21,000-capacity stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Albany State football players have a special lunch

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Albany State University football players are known for their toughness, but on Friday they showed a softer side. Nearly a dozen players and coaches visited Albany's Palmyra nursing home for a cookout with the residents.

They enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers and some good fellowship. It was a chance for the players to give back to some loyal fans. Mike White, the Albany State Football coach said, "it definitely makes us feel good also to come over and do that."

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When America Thinks of Marching Bands...

Understated FAMU secondary leads with maturity 

Sometimes the Florida A&M football players who make up the secondary can't help but feel a little overlooked. It goes back to last season when quarterback Curtis Pulley was stealing headlines on a weekly basis.

This season, an injury to star running back Philip Sylvester has put sophomore Eddie Rocker into the conversation about who could be better. Meanwhile, the secondary is becoming the heart and soul of FAMU's defense without much fanfare.

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Understated FAMU secondary leads with maturity »
FAMU intends to stem O-line woes »
Special teams play big for FAMU »
FAMU coasts to easy win over Howard »
Page continues to grow from shooting incident »
Injuries have Rattlers' O-line stitched up »

B-CU/Norfolk State rivalry fades with Wyatt gone

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- When former Bethune-Cookman defensive coordinator Pete Adrian became head coach at Norfolk State in 2005, he took three other B-CU assistants with him and a rivalry was born.

Five years later, Brian Jenkins has replaced Alvin Wyatt as B-CU's coach and none of the Wildcats recruited by Adrian or his assistants are still with the team.

"The ties to them are gone," said B-CU quarterback Matt Johnson, a fifth-year senior. "The players who knew them are not here anymore, so it's just another game." As the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for the Wildcats, against a team that manhandled them last year, Saturday's game against the Spartans at Municipal Stadium is not quite just another game.

Pete's Ploys 3.0‎

This week's motivational tactic was by far the most entertaining, but also the most far-fetched.

Norfolk State head coach Pete Adrian said he was listening to Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins recently -- I'm not sure if it was a media conference call, radio show or television program since I didn't hear it -- and Adrian decided to have a little fun with one of Jenkins' comments.

All of Jenkins' comments from below are Adrian's accounts, and I can't speak to the veracity of them, but it's not hard to imagine something similar occurring. Bethune has pumelled two rather inferior opponents, Savannah State and Edward Waters College. Jenkins, whose Wildcats beat Savannah State 42-7, allegedly said ...

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North Carolina Central Eagles host North Carolina A&T Aggies

Complete Game Notes            Ticket Information

THE GAME 
North Carolina A&T State Univ. “Aggies” vs. North Carolina Central Univ. “Eagles”

THE KICKOFF 
Saturday, September 25, 2010 – Kickoff at 6:00 p.m.

THE SITE 
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity / Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.

2010 RECORDS 
North Carolina A&T (0-3); North Carolina Central (1-2 overall) 

MEDIA COVERAGE 
Audio: NCCU Sports Network - flagship station WRJD 1410 AM (Durham), WHNC 890 AM (Henderson), WELS 1010 AM (Kinston), WYRN 1480 AM (Louisburg), WCBQ 1340 AM (Oxford), WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount), WXKL 1290 AM (Sanford); NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 5:30 p.m.

Video: NCCUEaglePride.com features GameCentral by Stretch Internet ($8.95). Starts at 5:45 p.m. 

Alcorn ready to challenge in SWAC East

LORMAN, MS — It may only be the fourth week of the season, but when Alabama State heads into Jack Spinks Stadium to take on the Alcorn State Braves, SWAC East division title implications could be on the line.

Alabama State has a 3-0 record in the SWAC, including an 18-15 upset victory over Prairie View last week, while the Braves have a 1-0 conference mark following a 27-9 win over Mississippi Valley State. And if the Braves want to play in their first SWAC Championship Game, the Hornets might be the team that stands in their way.

“Regardless of what our records are early in the year, this is a big game,” Alcorn State head coach Earnest Collins said.

Bridge gives Alcorn dual threat at quarterback‎ 

 Don't berate Alcorn State coach Earnest Collins if he's coy about his quarterback plans for Saturday's key conference game against streaking Alabama State. It's a coaching thing. They all do it. Collins replaced starting quarterback Terrence Barnes with true freshman Brandon Bridge during Alcorn's win over Mississippi Valley State last week, sparking the Braves to the 27-9 victory.

That raises the question: Who will start Saturday? "We'll work that out in practice," Collins said earlier this week.

Bridge, a 6-foot-5, 195-pounder from Canada, ran and threw for a combined 250 yards. He threw a touchdown and ran for another after replacing Barnes in the second quarter. Bridge, who Collins says runs the 40-yard dash in less than 4.6 seconds, accounted for 150 yards more in three quarters than Barnes had in the first two games.

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New director aims to revitalize Gateway Classic

Although his father founded and ran the Gateway Classic Sports Foundation for 16 years, Rich Gray never yearned to succeed Earl Wilson Jr., whose goal was to fill the Edward Jones Dome once a year. In fact, Gray had every intention of retiring from corporate America before health issues forced Wilson to step down.

"He had talked to me about it previously, but our styles were a little different," Gray said. "So, it wasn't something I embraced."

When the time came to talk seriously, Gray budged and accepted. In a short time, he has served notice that all effort will be made to revitalize the Gateway Classic, an annual football game featuring teams from historically black colleges and universities.

Gateway Classic 

Clark Atlanta vs. University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Doors open at 1:30 p.m.

Featuring the Halftime Battle Of The Bands w/Special guest performance by Bradd Young

Tickets: Edward Jones Dome box office

More info & events: gatewayclassic.org

A 'Classic' homecoming, Jamaal Phillips comes home for Gateway Classic

St. Louis native Jamaal Phillips is coming home to play in the 2010 St. Louis Gateway Classic football game this Saturday, September 25 at the Edward Jones Dome at 3 p.m.

Phillips, a Hazelwood East High School graduate, plays offensive line for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions. They face the Clark Atlanta Panthers in this year’s showdown between historically black universities. “I get to play in front of hometown fans. I have a lot of family and friends coming out to support me,” said Phillips. One important source of support will come from the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club.

In 2008, Phillips was Youth of the Year for Herbert Hoover, as well as youth clubs in the State of Missouri and the Midwest region. He got a chance to travel and compete nationally for Youth of the Year honors and network with individuals from boys and girls clubs around the nation.

Comanches in the Classic

For Thomas Winters Jr. and Terron Armstead, it will be a dream comes true this weekend. The former Cahokia High standouts are coming home to perform in front of family members, friends, former teammates and coaches in this Saturday’s 17th Annual Gateway Classic Football Game.

Winters and Armstead play for the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which takes on Clark Atlantic University in this year’s Classic at the Edward Jones Dome. Kick- off is set for 4 p.m.

Both young men were stellar student–athletes for Cahokia on some of the school’s best football teams ever. Together, they helped lead Cahokia to a few South Seven Conference titles as well as four consecutive playoff appearances. In addition, Armstead was one of the best field event athletes in track and field on some great Comanche teams that won state championships.

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TSU safety keeps piling up tackles

Even though safety Eugene Clifford is Tennessee State's leading tackler, that doesn't mean opposing ball carriers are making it to the last line of defense, Coach Rod Reed said.

"That doesn't bother me because the coverages we've been running put safeties down in the box, up close to the line," Reed said. "Tackling is what his job is. A lot of the linebackers' responsibility on runs is to clog up the middle and spill to the safeties."

The scheme has worked against the run as TSU (1-2) is first in the OVC and 21st in the Football Championship Series, allowing 110.0 yards per game. The Tigers play Florida A&M (2-1) on Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The Rattlers have depended heavily upon the running back tandem of senior Philip Sylvester and sophomore Eddie Rocker. TSU held Sylvester and Rocker to a combined 61 rushing yards in FAMU's 31-12 win last year, and Clifford recorded six tackles.

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Tennessee State's Preston Brown to get bulk of carries
Austin Peay beats TSU

QB has triggered fast starts for NSU's offense

NORFOLK, VA - Norfolk State quarterback Chris Walley's career has started just as the Spartans hoped. His starts to each game, though, have been far better than anticipated.

Walley, a transfer from Joliet (Ill.) Junior College and the winner of a three-way quarterback competition in the preseason, has three straight torrid starts. He completed four of his first five passes against Rutgers, eight of his first 10 against North Carolina A&T and 11 of his first 13 against Virginia State.

Heading into Saturday's game at Bethune-Cookman, the Spartans have played their best in the first half, outscoring opponents 47-20. The transfer credits scouting for the early success.


B-CU's schedule getting tougher

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- It's hard to imagine a more favorable scheduling scenario for a first-year head coach and a team learning an entirely new system.

Preseason drills and practice were followed by a season-opener that, for all intents and purposes, was a glorified scrimmage against a totally overmatched opponent -- Edward Waters College, which fell 70-10. After that came a rare second-week bye, allowing for an extra week of preparations leading up to Game 2, against Savannah State, which offered a small step up in competition yet still resulted in a lopsided victory, 42-7.

After Saturday's decisive win over Savannah State, Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins assessed how his team currently looks, compared to what he was hoping to see at this early stage. Since football coaches are never completely satisfied, the answer was fairly predictable.

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ASU kickoff moved to 4 pm in battle of unbeatens this Saturday

Alabama State University's showdown with Alcorn State University will be moved to 4 p.m. on Saturday at Jack Sprinks Stadium in Lorman, Miss. The two unbeaten teams were originally scheduled to play at 2 p.m., but the time has changed due to anticipated mid-day heat. The teams are the only remaining that are unbeaten in the SWAC.



Hornets swarming

Monday morning, just two days after Reggie Barlow’s Alabama State team notched a landmark victory at Prairie View, the Hornets’ fourth-year coach didn’t gloat. Instead, he apologized.

Alabama State dumped the reigning champions of Southwestern Athletic Conference with a game-winning field goal in a hard-fought 18-15 win — and upon further review, Barlow said, his players might have taken their celebration a little too far. Barlow made it clear he didn’t intend to show up Prairie View or its coaching staff.

ASU's Lyons named Special Teams Player of Week

MONTGOMERY, AL — Andrew Lyons, place kicker for Alabama State University, has been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Special Teams Player of the Week. Lyons, a junior from Panama City, Fla., hit a game-winning 47-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to give ASU an 18-15 win at Prairie View A&M over the weekend. Lyons also connected on his only extra-point attempt.

The 47-yard field goal was Lyons career-long and was his fourth field goal of the season. He leads the team in points with 20 as he has also hit all eight of his extra point attempts.

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A&M investigates Thomas' eligibility

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - Alabama A&M conducted an internal investigation late last week on the eligibility of wide receiver Demetrius Thomas, The Times has learned.

Thomas, a transfer from Marshall, apparently spent four or five days at Texas Southern, sources said, before coming to A&M last month. A&M coach Anthony Jones said he couldn't comment on the matter Sunday and Monday. Sources say Thomas is the reason Jones and Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole got in a heated exchange after the Tigers whipped the Bulldogs 32-9 on Saturday. Sources also say Jones and Cole reached a mutual agreement that Thomas, a 6-0, 170-pound redshirt sophomore from Mobile, wouldn't play Saturday. Thomas didn't make the trip with the team and wasn't made available to the media on Monday during Jones' weekly press conference. He also didn't practice Tuesday.

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Alabama A&M University Bulldogs Fight Song

STAND UP AND CHEER
CHEER LOUD AND LONG FOR DEAR OLD NORMAL
FOR TODAY WE RAISE
THE MAROON ABOVE ALL OTHERS

OUR NOBLE TEAM IS NOW FIGHTING
IS FIGHTING TO HARD TO WIN THE FRAY
WE'VE GOT TO WIN! WE'RE SURE TO WIN!
FOR THIS IS DEAR OLD NORMAL'S DAY

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Fayetteville State expects big group of WSSU fans

Fayetteville State will have a web broadcast of the game at http://www.fsubroncos.com./

Winston-Salem State football fans have a reputation for traveling well, and they’ll have the chance to uphold that tradition Saturday, when undefeated WSSU plays at Fayetteville State, the defending CIAA champion. The game, at 6 p.m. at Luther “Nick’ Jeralds Stadium, will be the Rams’ biggest since they last played in the CIAA in 2005.

Antoinette Fairley, Fayetteville State’s ticket manager, said she’s prepared and that she already has sent 100 tickets to WSSU. “And if need be, we can overnight some more to them,” she said. “We’ve been getting a lot of calls already, so we are expecting a pretty big crowd for this one.”

Fairley said that the stadium seats about 6,200, and she’s expecting a favorable forecast to drive game-day ticket sales.

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